Asian Games 2018: Indian women face mighty Japanese; men have it easier

The Indian women’s shuttlers will have to be in impeccable form in the team event at the Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia if they aspire to win a medal again. The mighty Japanese team, comprising the likes of World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi and 2017 world champion Nozomi Okuhara, awaits the Indians in their first match.

Team India, which will be spearheaded by PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, has been placed in the top half of the draw. After receiving a bye in the first round, they start directly from the quarter-finals, where they face the Japanese in this 16-team competition.

What makes Japan strong is their depth in both singles and doubles. The country has four pairs in the world’s top 10 in women’s doubles, two of which made it to the Asian Games squad apart from Koharu Yonemoto, one-half of Japan’s third-best team.

PV Sindhu recently accounted for both of Japan’s top singles superstars -- Yamaguchi and Okuhara -- at the World Championships. While that would give her immense confidence and should inspire Saina Nehwal too in singles, it is needless to say India will have their task cut out in the doubles section.

Until and unless India come up with something special and Japan falter, which looks improbable at the moment, the Indians will find it difficult to emulate their bronze medal-winning feat of 2014.

The men, on the other hand, have a relatively easier route to the medal round. But they too are not out of danger.

Can Srikanth & Co. get a medal?

Kidambi Srikanth & Co. kicks off their campaign with a face-off with minnows, Maldives in the first round. With the latter lacking in any quality player, it is expected that the Indians will breeze through their opener.

The quarter-final round is where things get tricky for India, as they will come up against Indonesia. The hosts boast of having the World No. 1 men’s doubles pair of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo in their squad.

While their doubles section certainly looks robust, the same cannot be said for singles. That said, they do have three players inside the top 15, unlike two for India. World No. 12 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting produced a scintillating run on his way to winning the Indonesia Masters back in January.

World No. 15 Jonatan Christie made it to the final of the New Zealand Open in May, losing to Lin Dan. The two do have the talent to make the Indians work hard on the court.

In the semi-finals, India will take on the winner of the loaded third quarter of the draw, that sees Korea, Thailand, Japan and Malaysia battling it out for a place in the last-four. Japan are the current Thomas Cup runners-up and they are the most likely candidate to come through this part of the draw.

With world and Asian champion, Kento Momota and two top-10 doubles pairs in the squad, they pose a challenge for India that the latter might find it tough to overcome.

The Indian squads

Men: Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy, B Sai Praneeth, Sameer Verma, Sourabh Verma, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Manu Attri, B Sumeeth Reddy, Pranaav Jerry Chopra

Women: PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Ashwini Ponnappa, N Sikki Reddy, Ashmita Chaliha, Sai Uttejitha Rao Chukka, Aakarshi Kashyap, Rutaparna Panda, Gayatri Gopichand, Arathi Sara Sunil